


a promise of ice cream

by onthelasttrain



Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Janis is the supportive gf we all deserve, Needles, Protective Janis+scared Karen, Trypanophobia, the author is using her own fear of needles, the title makes sense i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22561735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onthelasttrain/pseuds/onthelasttrain
Summary: Karen really, really hates needles. But she really, really loves Janis. And ice cream. And the combination of the two of those might just convince her to go through with it.
Relationships: Janis Sarkisian/Karen Smith
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	a promise of ice cream

“Hey, hey, hey,” Janis chirps, her foot landing on Karen’s window seat as she pulls herself through the open window. “I know your mom doesn’t like me coming in through the window but I parked Sabrina round the side and I cleaned my boots before coming so I won’t get any mud on your seat. Again.” She jumps off the seat and hops over to Karen’s bed. “You know, my aunt dated this guy back in the 80s and she came in through his window at like, 3am. I read it in her diary-” Her voice trails off. Karen is pressed far into the corner of her wall, hidden behind as many stuffed animals and cushions as she could get her hands on. She’s clutching her oldest and most precious one-the stuffed rabbit she got as a baby-close to her chest, and the giant floppy dog Janis won her at the carnival a few weeks ago is stretched across her lap like a barrier between her and the cruel outside world. Amidst the mountain of satin and fluff and wool, her face is pretty much the only thing that’s visible, her perfect white teeth biting into her pink lips nearly hard enough to draw blood and her face chalk white, dark smudges under her eyes she didn’t bother hiding with concealer.

She knows why she’s like this. Of course. There’s a reason she came in through the window bright-eyed and bushy tailed and full of enough joy for the both of them, even if cheer is normally Karen’s forte. Because today’s the day Karen’s getting a needle.

There was no getting around her mom. She had given Karen most of her shots as a baby and in school, but her dumb anti vax dad and stepmom (sweet lord, the stepmom) refused to let her get her ovarian cancer shot and hid the leaflet from her mom, distracting Karen and telling her it wasn’t that important anyway. Now her dad’s out of her life for good and Jen has checked Karen’s medical records and tried to break it to Karen as gently as possible that she needed another shot.

Apparently, it hadn’t been pretty. Apparently it had involved Karen screaming, really, truly screaming and crying, dropping to the ground and begging, begging her mom not to make her go through with it. But Jen refused, of course. Karen and her health mean absolutely everything and then some to her mom. Janis can relate, of course.

And Janis is the only reason Karen has agreed to go. That’s the deal; Karen will go to the Evil Doctor (her words, not Janis’) as long as Janis goes with her to hold her hand and they have snuggle time later (again, Karen’s words). Janis didn’t have any plans for today, but even if she did, she’d cancel them all in a heartbeat to be by Karen’s side.

“Come on, Kare-bear,” she says, reaching past her fortress of fabric to poke her cheek. “The sooner we go the sooner we can come back and cuddle.”

“No.”

“Karen,” she sighs. “I know you don’t want to. But it’s important. It’s so you don’t get sick.”

“Maybe I want to be sick,” she says, a feeble attempt at malice. “Maybe I like being sick. When I got sick last year you came over and watched movies with me.”

“Not this kind of sick, babe,” she tells her, stroking underneath her wide, fearful eyes. She dampens down the impatient flare she feels inside her and scoots up to be as close to Karen as she possibly can. Her heart aches for her, her girlfriend who normally has enough joy to power their school, pushing herself into the bedroom wall in an attempt to make herself disappear and curling in on herself. There’s another, unspoken reason why Karen’s mom allowed Janis to come with them and that’s because Janis is probably the only person able to talk Karen into coming. So she lowers her voice as much as she can, using the soft and gentle tone she reserves for Karen and Karen only. “It’ll only take five minutes and I’ll be right there the whole time, okay?”

“I don’t want to,” she says quietly, holding Bunny closer to her chest. “It’s gonna hurt.”

“I know, darling, I know,” she whispers. “But it’s only going to hurt for a little minute and then it’s all over. And then we can come back and cuddle all day long.” She frowns, her resolve weakening.

“Promise?”

“Pinky promise.” Janis holds out her little finger and Karen, breaking out into a smile, wraps her own baby finger around it.

“You can’t break pinky promises,” she says sternly. The smile drops as soon as it came and her lips roll into a thin line. She takes tight hold of Bunny and begins twisting him around, making Janis worry she might rip his little head off. “Can we get ice cream when we’re done?”

Janis takes a look outside the window; despite the sunshine, February seems reluctant to give way to spring. Grey clouds promise rain and the extra sweater Janis wears on top of her long sleeved shirt and beneath her heavy jacket proved wise. Still, if it makes Karen happy…

“Of course we can,” she promises, dropping a kiss to her nose. “So… are you coming?”

“Yeah.” She pushes her animals away and throws her cushions off her, littering her floor with them. They’ll deal with that when they come back. Her legs are unsteady as she stands and her hair flies off in every direction.

“Come here,” Janis laughs, lifting a comb from Karen’s table. She gently rakes it through her golden locks, running her hand down where she’d finished, and clips the front section back with a sparkly hairclip. She taps the tip of Karen’s nose with her finger. “Beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful,” she replies, slipping her hand into Janis’. It’s cold and stiff from trying not to shake, but Janis won’t press. Instead she looks back at Karen’s bed, at the abandoned teddies strewn across the covers.

“You know, you can bring Bunny with you,” she says. “I know he makes you feel safe.”

“No,” she says with surprising force. “I don’t need him.”

“You don’t?”

“Nu-uh.” She shakes her head, blonde hair moving to and fro. “Only babies take their toys to the doctor’s. And I’m not a baby.” She looks at Janis sheepishly. “Right?”

“Right,” she echoes, dropping a swift peck on her lips.

Downstairs, Jen paces the kitchen on the phone, regarding the two of them with a brief wave. If she was worried about Janis coming in through the window, she doesn’t show it, too invested in the phone call. By the looks of things, it’s isn’t good, and Janis instinctively pulls Karen closer, her thoughts immediately jumping to Karen’s dad. He may not have contacted them in over a year, but she knows that doesn’t mean he won’t try again.

“No I understand,” Jen says, shooting Janis an apologetic look. “Yes I know it’s important just… Karen’s got a doctor’s appointment now. In ten minutes.” Her voice trails off as the voice on the other end of the phone hammers on, chipping away at Jen’s resolve bit by bit.

“Everything okay Jen?” Janis asks.

“Fine,” she replies in a low voice, turning the phone into her shoulder. “Just emergency clients coming into the office and I didn’t expect to be called in today so I never requested today off and I can’t seem to get out of it-”

“So I don’t need to go!” Karen beams. “We can do it later.”

“Oh, you’re going,” Jen says, running a hand through her hair, the same shade as her daughter’s, but stopping just past her chin. “Maybe if I can push it back or-”

“I can take her,” Janis says, making Jen stop dead in her monologue.

“Janis, no!” Karen hisses in her ear, half-angry, half-desperate.

“Are you sure?” Jen asks.

“Completely. I have my truck so I can drive her.” Karen shakes her head and Janis tries to ignore the fury in her eyes. She’ll be paying for this later, no doubt. Jen on the other hand almost goes weak with relief and comes over to clap Janis on the shoulder.

“Janis Sarkisian,” she says. “Do you save the world every day or just on Saturdays?”

“Only when it’s important.” Beside her, Karen glares daggers at her. Daggers that are probably pink, sparkly and strawberry scented.

“I am not talking to you,” she announces in the truck. Her arms are crossed over her chest and she keeps her face forwards, looking out at the road.

“You just did.”

“Damn it!” she squeaks. “You tricked me.”

“No, no I didn’t.” Karen pouts, keeping her eyes off Janis, and she lets out a sigh, the smirk melting from her face. “Look, Karen, you need to get this shot. It’s important.”

“My dad said it wasn’t!”

“Your dad is an asshole!” Karen shifts in her seat, her eyes moving down to her lap.

“Maybe.”

“Definitely. So your mom needs you to get this shot because your dad didn’t get it for you. And I need you to get this shot because I want you to be healthy because I love you. Okay?” She doesn’t miss how the corners of her mouth turn up at her admission. But she also doesn’t miss how her hand moves seemingly subconsciously to her upper arm, or how her smile drops and her eyes grow wide and how her chest moves as she takes in a slow breath.

“I don’t like them,” she admits in a small voice. “I don’t like how it feels.”

“No one does, Kare-bear,” Janis replies softly. “But I’m going to be there the whole time, okay? You just hold my hand and look into my eyes and it’s over before you know it.” Karen stays quiet and Janis can see the cogs of her mind moving in the unique way they do, a way that’s uniquely Karen. People think she doesn’t understand, but Janis knows she does.

“Can we get ice cream when it’s over?”

“Of course.”

Despite the promise of ice cream, Karen freezes when they pull into the doctor’s office and her steps are slow and fragile as they cross the parking lot. Janis sits her down in the waiting room, slightly crushed at the fact that not even the fashion magazines or colouring books or bright rainbow abacus distracts her. She keeps looking back at her as she checks her in with the nurse. She’s like marble, so white and so still, except for the way her fingers fidget in her lap and for a second Janis actually does consider taking her home, lying to Jen and spending the day watching Karen laugh and hugging her.

She doesn’t, of course, but the temptation is there.

“Karen Smith?” Karen squawks a little at her name. “The nurse is ready for her.”

When Janis tugs on Karen’s hand, she finds it ice cold. She shakes her head, the movements minute, her mouth almost open, protests dying on her lips.

“Hey, hey,” she whispers, tilting Karen’s face to make her look at her. “Remember what I said? Just keep looking at me, just stay with me. It’s okay. Two minutes. One minute, even, okay?” Karen nods, if she could call it that, and rises with Janis, letting her take her down the hall to where the receptionist had guided them. Janis herself doesn’t like doctor’s offices; they’re unnaturally clean and the carpets are ugly and the posters freak her out. But she can handle them well enough, Karen less so. Her nails dig into the back of Janis’ hand, leaving little marks in the skin no matter how much Janis reassures her.

“Hi, Karen,” the nurse greets as they enter her office. That’s another thing Janis doesn’t like about doctors and hospitals; how fake the demeanours are. There’s a big juicy pay check behind every smile. “If you just want to come in here. Your friend can come in too.”

She doesn’t need to guess which one’s which, not with Janis whispering comforts into Karen’s ear and the other girl clinging to Janis like a lifeline.

“Girlfriend,” Karen corrects. Despite the terror leaking through her hand, she manages to puff out her chest a little, a proud smile on her pink lips. “She’s my girlfriend.”

“Coming for moral support?” the nurse teases, not unkindly.

“She promised me ice cream,” she replies, turning to Janis with a grin. It warms Janis to see it, however shaky it is.

“Lovely. So just pop yourself up on the table there for me.” Karen goes over, still mostly with Janis’ help, and lets Janis get her up on the blue table. She can feel the nurse working behind her and makes sure to keep Karen’s eyes on her. “And can you take your little jacket off for me honey?” Karen’s hand brushes over her jacket. Janis was there the day she bought it, cut off below her chest, dyed pink denim and little star-shaped buttons. Karen nearly died when she saw it on the rack.

“I like my jacket,” she replies, her voice cracking.

“I’m sure you do, hon,” the nurse replies, taking a break from preparing her stuff to look over at Karen. “But I just need you to take if off for a second so I can get at your arm, then you can put it back on, okay?”

The word ‘okay’ barely leaves Karen’s lips, but she does as she’s told and takes off the jacket, even if her movements are slow and robotic. Janis brushes her hair away from her shoulder, her arm brushing against her chest as she does so, and she feels the frantic thud of her heart and the shakiness of her shallow breathing. Her shoulders, her whole body is so tense Janis fears she may snap in half. She only has minutes and does what she can, kissing her forehead and telling her she’s okay and running her fingers down her hair, but nothing works.

Then the nurse brings her rickety little metal cart over and Karen dares to look, and she catches sight of the sinister silver tip, glinting in the artificial light.

And she snaps.

“No.” She shakes her head firmly, her shoulders wriggling under Janis’ grasp, her chin wobbling as she starts shaking her head. Her voice starts small, just a fraction of a whisper between her and Janis, but it builds. “No, no, no, no!”

“Hey, hey Karen, look at me.” Karen fights back and she’s pretty sure that if she didn’t have three layers of clothing on, there’d be scratches on her arms. Still, she’s stronger than she is, and manages to at least hold her in place, trapping her legs between hers and taking her shoulders firmly. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I know you hate it. Just one little pinch and it’s over.”

“I don’t want to,” she whines, tears forming in her eyes and running down her cheeks. Janis bites back some of her own. “I-I don’t want to.”

“I know.” She smooths away her hair. “I know, darling. But just one little pinch and then it’s all over. Remember what I said in the truck. Come on, what did I say?”

“You said… you said um… you said to just hold your hand and look in your eyes and it’ll be over.”

“That’s right. That’s right okay?” She grabs hold of Karen’s hand, trying to give her whatever strength she can. Karen’s eyes move to the side, to where the nurse is, but Janis takes her chin and moves it ever so slightly. “Hey, hey. Don’t look at her look at me, okay? Just look at me. Deep breaths come on. Remember how I taught Gretchen? In for eight, out for eight, okay?” Karen nods, matching her breaths to Janis’ as best she can. Janis rests her forehead against hers, bumping their noses together. “That’s my girl.” As subtlety as she can, she gives a nod to the nurse, who stands awkwardly behind Karen with the needle ready.

When Karen flinches as the nurse wipes down her arm, Janis kisses her forehead.

When Karen gasps when the nurse plunges the needle into her arm, Janis lets her hold her arm as tightly as she needs, breathing steadily against her as the nurse pushes the syringe down as quickly as she can, but not quick enough.

When the nurse presses a little cotton ball into Karen’s arm and fastens it with a little piece of tape, Janis tells Karen that it’s over, whispering how proud she is of her and that it’s over, it’s over, she’s okay.

And when the nurse leaves to let them have a moment of privacy, Janis lets Karen sob into her shoulder.

“I am never, ever doing that again,” Karen declares. They’re stretched out on Karen’s bed, Janis leaning up against the headboard and Karen’s head in her lap, Janis’ hand doing lazy circles on her stomach. On the way home, Janis called into the grocery store to make good on her promise; a pint of mint chip for herself, a pint of raspberry ruffle for Karen and a pint of honeycomb to share.

“Never again,” she agrees through a mouthful of ice cream. It’s not exactly the truth, but it’s the truth Karen needs to hear. “How’s the arm?”

“Hurts.”

“I’m sorry, love,” she says, kissing her fingertip and ghosting it over the spot where the needle had gone in. “Tell me if it gets too sore to move, okay?”

“Janis?”

“Mm-hm?”

“I’m sorry.” Janis sits up to attention, putting her ice cream down, hoping she doesn’t stain the pillow. Karen looks up at the ceiling with wide and guilty eyes, moving Bunny’s ears forwards and backwards.

“You’re sorry?” she asks. “What for?”

“For being scared.”

“Baby-”

“I shouldn’t be scared,” she says. Janis isn’t sure which one of them she’s talking to. “It’s stupid.”

“It is not stupid.” She shifts herself, pulling her legs up, and Karen sits up and crosses her legs, looking at her through a curtain of tangled blonde hair. Janis cups her cheek, trying to find the right words. “Karen… it’s okay to get scared.”

“You never get scared.”

“Yes I do. I’m scared of spiders. And I used to be scared of Regina, remember?” Karen nods and Janis wonders if she’s thinking of the same thing she is; twelve year old Janis hiding in bathrooms and Karen’s conflicted eyes watching her from the other side of the yard. She brushes it off, bringing herself to the here and now.

“You’re not now though. And you’re not scared of needles. Or your dad. Or your grades. Or the dark.” She flicks the star shaped night light mounted on her wall. “You’re always brave. I’m not. And I wish I was.”

“Okay, come here.” Janis pulls her into her arms, Karen finding her favourite spot, nestled into the crook of her neck. “Don’t worry about being brave, Kare bear. I’ll be brave enough for the two of us. Just like you’re happy enough for the two of us.” Karen laughs into her hair and presses kisses into her neck and on the underside of her jaw. “So when you need to be brave, I’ll be there. I’ll help you.”

“Just like when you need to be happy, I’ll be there to help you,” Karen says.

“Exactly.” She pulls away, ignoring Karen’s small noises of protests, and runs her hand through her hair. “Because you make me very, very happy Karen.”

“You make me happy too,” Karen says before moving in swiftly to kiss her. “I love you.”

“I love you twice,” she grins against her lips.

“Thank you for coming with me.”

“Always. Now, want to share that raspberry ruffle with me?”

Karen looks from the carton to Janis, pondering her decision, while Janis thinks about how lovely she looks when she’s thinking.

“Okay,” she says. “But only because you’re my favourite person ever.”

“You can have some of mine too,” she says, feeling a little dizzy. The good kind of dizzy. “Because you’re mine.”

Karen’s mom gets home a little after three, just before Janis is about to text her parents and let them know she’ll probably be at Karen’s all day. She pops her head around the door, finding Karen asleep in Janis’ lap, Janis stroking Karen’s hair with one hand and scrolling through photos on her phone with the other, and three tubs of ice cream on the dresser, each one a different level of demolished.

“She’s still alive then?” Jen asks fondly.

“Just about,” Janis answers, stroking her girlfriend’s cheek.

“Did she have too much trouble?” she asks.

“She handled it,” Janis decides to say, even though the memory of Karen shaking and sobbing makes her flinch.

“Thank you for taking her Janis,” Jen says.

“Of course,” she replies. “Any time.”

“Staying for dinner?” she asks, raising an eyebrow at that dresser. “If that ice cream hasn’t spoiled your appetite.”

“Oh, nothing could do that to your cooking,” Janis says, making Jen laugh. She looks a lot like Karen when she laughs. She nods and shuts the door with a gentle click.

“You’re staying for dinner?” Karen’s groggy voice asks. Her eyes are still closed, her hand closed around Bunny, her legs hanging off the bed.

“Yes I am, Kare,” she says softly, running her hand gently through her hair.

“Yay,” she whispers before falling silent again, her chest steady against Janis’ legs. Janis leans back against the wall, trying not to wake her as she laughs silently, her lips clamped together. “Thanks for taking care of me today.”

“Always will, darling,” she replies, not caring if Karen hears it or not. People think Karen doesn’t know a lot, but Janis will make sure that she knows how much she loves her.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments make a happy author and a happy author makes fics and fics make a happy fandom.


End file.
